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Your employees would like for you to be a better boss in 2013

It is, as some say, “the most wonderful time of the year.” While workers look forward to festive parties and Holiday gifts, there is one present organizations can provide that rises to the top of the heap. No, it isn’t the latest computing tablet or a bigger and better game station. By far, the best gift to an employee, anytime during the year, is to have a really great boss. Indeed, we join those who argue that we should enshrine this wish as item #1 on the employee’s bill of rights---the right to work with a competent boss. Contributor Kare Andersonhas noted this issue as well in her recent post Guess What Employees Want Most?.

In order to take a closer look at the “best bosses,” my business partner Joe Folkman recently analyzed 360-degree feedback data for some 45,000 leaders. We were struck with the wide variation in perceptions. Employees viewed some bosses as amazing leaders while others were, in a word, terrible. For many of those who needed improvement, the task seemed impossible. Yet our data also showed that even leaders who have received extremely negative ratings can change.

In general, bosses received the lowest feedback from their peers. Both their own manager and their direct reports gave them higher marks than their direct peers. What does this mean? It is clear these leaders are putting the majority of their energy into managing up and sideways, and to a large degree are ignoring their peers.

The graph below shows the overall leadership effectiveness ratings for the best versus the worst leaders.

In this table, we examine the differences in how direct reports rated the leaders on 49 leadership behaviors to understand which behaviors showed the most substantial differences between the worst and the best bosses. Let me emphasize that the following recommendations are not merely our opinions or beliefs. These are the behaviors we have empirically found that most powerfully define the leaders who received the highest scores from their direct reports.

Behaviors Influencing The Way Subordinates Perceive Their Boss

Inspire Team Member to High Performance. The number one most significant factor that separates the direct reports who are most satisfied from those who are least satisfied is the leader’s ability to inspire and motivate others. This was not surprising because this competency is also ranked as the most important competency by direct reports. Inspiring leaders have a high level of energy and the ability to inspire others to new levels of effort and performance.

Focus on the Big Picture. The best bosses were seen by their subordinates to be able to maintain a clear perspective between the overall picture and the details. They excelled at creating a vibrant, reasonably specific view of the future. They reminded team members of the vision they were helping to accomplish and how their work contributed to that vision.

Make Work an Opportunity to Learn. The best bosses are highly focused on finding developmental opportunities for all team members. These bosses knew what their subordinates aspired to do in the organization. These leaders carved out time for developmental opportunities and were willing to fund their subordinates’ attendance at formal development programs. They allocated work assignments based on the developmental needs of their subordinates. When direct reports were learning new skills they found their jobs much more satisfying..

Demonstrate Concern for Team Members. The best bosses find ways to stay in touch with issues and concerns of individuals in the work group. They balance the need to deliver results with the personal needs of all direct reports. While they are not reluctant to establish challenging goals, they are careful to not excessively encroach on their subordinates’ personal lives.

Resolve Conflicts and Insist on Cooperation. Conflict within a team apparently has a very negative impact on direct reports. It also diminishes overall performance. Allowing conflict to go unresolved frustrates team members, thereby reducing productivity. The best bosses insisted that team members cooperate rather than compete.

Ask Team Members to Stretch. Some leaders are of the opinion that in order to get direct reports to have greater fondness for you, you should ask them to do less. In other words, don't push them too hard. The truth is that the most highly rated leaders ask their team members to stretch for goals that go beyond what they originally thought possible. Our research shows conclusively that when direct reports accomplish difficult goals, their job satisfaction increases. People want to make a difference and they need bosses who challenge and encourage them.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. The best bosses keep direct reports well informed, listen attentively to their issues and concerns and ask thought provoking questions.

Walk Your Talk. The final critical element is that the best bosses are excellent role models. They would not ask team members to do something they themselves wouldn’t do. They constantly strive to be good examples.

As we would expect, these eight behaviors were extremely focused on the leader’s role and relationship with those who report to them. We believe leaders need to manage their peers and their bosses professionally and responsibly, but at the end of day, leadership is fundamentally about how you treat those you are leading. If someone does not do that well, that person is not a good boss.

The bosses who dedicated their limited time to developing others this year not only improved their relationships with employees, but also increased the productivity and profitability of their organizations. As you contemplate your Holiday gifts this year, remember, it’s not too late to strive to be the “best boss”. Pick one of the behaviors above and turn it into a strength. We promise it will be the best gift your employees and organization could receive.

Additional reporting for this article was provided by Joseph Folkman, Zenger Folkman President.